UCLA football: Sizing up quarterback competition

Unlike the past two seasons, UCLA doesn't have a quarterback competition for the No. 1 spot heading into fall camp. The job belongs to Kevin Prince. But there is a competition for No. 2.

"I know Richard Brehaut is chomping at the bit for a chance to prove that he's ready to go out," Coach Rick Neuheisel said. "When he got into the game, he never one time was nervous. He just didn't realize, and you fault him because you have to fault him, that's your job as a coach, but you can't fault him because he's young and he's brand new to this deal and being thrust into this environment, he just didn't realize how hard it is to remember everything. That goes into being a college quarterback.

"There was a time he forgot to bring a guy in motion. Well, that's why he doesn't get blocked. There was a time he forgets to line up on the line of scrimmage. All of a sudden Milton Knox gets down to the 1-yard line against Washington, but now it's a five-yard deal and it's third-and-15 and here comes the defensive ends with their ears pinned back and he's waiting for a guy to get open and he gets the ball stripped and we got a turnover rather than three points. It's right when Kevin (Prince) got hurt, a pivotal drive in the game. By themselves, you can kind of understand those mistakes. But in the context of a game, where you have to win — we're on a five-game losing streak — that can't happen. Absolutely can't happen.

"So, how does he respond to the adversity? Because there's going to be a change with (Kevin) Craft going into the game. Hopefully it was a wake-up call of how much more serious he has to take this, how much more commitment and dedication. I think he's taken that into light. It was a stark reality at the time it happened, but I still have high, high hopes for Richard Brehaut.

"Nick Crissman, we haven't had a chance to watch. He's been hurt for most of his time. I don't think you would have designed this offense for Nick. But when he was in there, he looked like he knew what he was doing in spring ball. Darius Bell, our new quarterback, brings a lot of weapons. He's been in this kind of offense at the City College of San Francisco. He's more of a runner, or at least a 50-50 guy, than the other guys in the program.

"We'll see how we incorporate him into this. I know he's got all the confidence of his brother, Kahlil (Bell). I think he's going to be a great asset. I know having been the fourth-team quarterback and having been the third-team quarterback, they think there's competition. As long as they think it and they get opportunities, then who knows what's going to happen."

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